What is it about?

Latino immigrants face unique challenges as they adjust to living in the U.S. Latino immigrants have an increased risk for developing chronic illnesses, and Latinos want to maintain their health. If exercise is an important way to promote health, then what is preventing them from engaging in exercise? We looked at 3 factors which may influence exercise in recently immigrated Latinos.

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Why is it important?

The Latino population in the U.S. continues to grow and thrive. Given that the Latino population is at increased risk of diabetes, it is likely the U.S. could see a progressive increase in diabetes prevalence. This increase in illness could place a heavy burden our health care system. It is important to understand whether it's their individual adjustment to the U.S., their confidence to exercise or their exposure to stress which impacts attempts to exercise. This information may inform clinicians, local governments, and public health policy makers as to the barriers Latinos face while starting to exercise.

Perspectives

This article was important to me because, as a nurse, I am interested in health promotion. Also, I was fascinated by the strong sense of community in predominately Latino neighborhoods. But hearing and learning from community members, in particular their family histories of diabetes, drove me to start questioning why Latino immigrant's risk of diabetes was higher than in non-Latino white communities. Exercise has many benefits for us, but if we don't foster healthy communities, Latino health status may continue to decline which has far reaching consequences for our nation's future.

Martin Mikell
Medical College of Wisconsin

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This page is a summary of: Exploring Factors Associated with Physical Activity in Latino Immigrants, Western Journal of Nursing Research, January 2020, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0193945919897547.
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